Starting a YouTube Channel

 [This is from my second channel, I got lucky with this thumbnail, my second video not so much]

I see a lot of videos and articles discussing how to start up a YouTube channel, the vast majority of which come from channels that are already somewhat successful. This makes a lot of sense, but because they all come from the same (often older) perspective there are some elements that get passed over. Something I wish I knew before I started 3 YouTube channels (1 for my band, 2 personal) was that YouTube only allows you to verify 2 channels of of the same phone number. I verified my band's channel (we plan on possibly writing songs over 15 minutes, so that's important) and my primary personal channel covering topics similar (or ripped straight from) this blog. Unfortunately my 2nd personal channel now cannot be verified and the biggest problem I have there (apart from being unable to upload 15 minute plus videos) is that I can't add custom thumbnails, a bigger deal it seems to me than any other restriction. So in light of my recent lack of forward planning I thought I'd put together a short list for anyone looking to start a channel in 2016.

Creative drive vs Justification

I was once told that I shouldn’t keep making art or music unless it was making me money. To this day I don’t understand the thinking behind that. I’ve always been a work to live kind of guy and because I don’t spend much money my current “job” teaching kids to play drums at a local primary school as well as part time employment for a local T-shirt manufacturer is enough (although this is only because I live with my parents so of course I’m mooching off of them and not truly supporting myself, I’m not deluding myself into thinking this is actually enough work to live off of). When I started to tell people I wanted to be more serious about making art and making music people asked me “Is that what you want to be, an artist/musician?” and my answer was always no, I didn’t want to “be” an artist, I just wanted to continue drawing, painting etc. I didn’t want to be a musician, I just wanted to continue making music.